Tease
by PalindromePen
Summary: Also known as, the first two times that Kim didn't mean to tease Jack, and the four times after that she did.


**Hey guys! I just thought of this and I just had to get it down! One thing: I'll be adding stuff in here that isn't real—or at least hasn't happened yet in the show—so …yeah. Just remember that. :D Oh, and another thing: pretend that A Slip Down Memory Lane never happened here, okay? Yeah, 'cause it just turned out this way…yup.**

**Read and review! I do not own Kickin' It. **

Jack knew Kim Crawford could be a notorious tease. He just didn't know how much and how far she could go. Unfortunately—or fortunately?—he would find out.

_One._

The first time Jack met Kim, he nearly fell over when he saw her. The funny thing was, Kim wasn't even doing it intentionally that time.

He'd been talking to Marge the lunch lady (was it strange that whenever he thought of Marge, the words "the lunch lady" always followed after?) , and he turned and was nearly bowled over. Standing in front of him was the most gorgeous girl he'd ever seen. She was juggling an apple in her hands and when she fumbled, Jack regained just enough composure to catch it with his foot and give her a cocky smile.

"Alright, that was almost cool," she said, and smiled. Jack felt winded again, seeing her smile at him like that. "I'm Kim."

"Jack. I'm new here." That was all he could say; four monosyllabic words. Luckily, she'd laughed, smirking slightly.

"I can tell; you still have that new guy smell." They both chuckled again. And after that, he'd stared at her like an idiot, a smile playing on his lips.

"Uh, can I have my apple back?" Kim asked, awkwardness in her voice. Jack blanched internally and handed it over, ignoring the tingle he felt when their hands brushed.

"Maybe I'll see you around, Kim," he said, finally finding his voice.

"Maybe you will," she said and grinned, turning and walking away, leaving Jack alone with his pounding heart.

Things happened relatively quickly after that, things that involved him seeing Kim again. Jack was very surprised when he learned that Kim was part of the Black Dragons, Bobby Wasabi's rival dojo, but even more surprised that during the tournament, he was up against Kim. Just her smile disarmed him, and he was thankful as heck that as she talked to him during their bow, she couldn't see the very slightest of pinks that came over his face.

Jack won the tournament for Bobby Wasabi, and he knew for a fact that as he celebrated, he had found best friends for life.

He just wished Kim would be one of them.

And when his wish came true, Jack felt another mental blow to the stomach; he found himself losing his breath once again.

He was juggling an apple as the dojo repacked. He fumbled (talk about déjà vu) and a blonde caught it with her foot.

"Kim!" Jack exclaimed, a shocked look on his face, "What are you doing here?"

She explained that she'd quit the Black Dragons after the tournament, realizing that they were lying, cheating skunks (she hadn't said that out loud, but Jack could tell she was thinking it). And apparently, Kim wanted to join their dojo, adding, "You guys were good at the tournament, but you'll need all the help you can get."

And she passed Jerry's test with flying colours, flipping her lustrous, golden hair at the very end. Jack swore that she smirked knowingly at him, as if she knew the effect she was having on him.

She couldn't know…could she?

Jack had no idea, but he knew one thing: if Kim kept doing this to him every time she was just near him, he better get a doctor.

_Two._

The second time Kim "teased" Jack was also unintentional.

When she asked him to the cotillion, he'd actually fallen down from the wall in surprise.

Kim was asking _him_ to a ball!

Kim was asking him to a _ball._

Jack didn't do cotillions. He didn't do tuxedos. And he definitely did _not_ do formal dancing.

So, he rejected her, noting the look of rue on her face and inwardly kicking himself. But it had to be done.

He found out the next day that Kim was still mad at him. And that she was going with another person; the new kid, Brody Carlson. Jack didn't like him. Not at all.

Somehow, after that, Jack found himself caught in an elaborate plot of revenge on Kim from the Black Dragons. Brody was a part of it. Jack wasn't surprised. He always knew there was something wrong about him. But a green eyed monster had nothing to do with that, surely.

He followed Kim to a table after the epic show down, sopping with gravy, or whatever that stuff was. Kim was splattered with it too, but he thought that she had never looked more beautiful.

Apparently, she didn't think so. "Look at me," she said, "I'm a mess."

"I don't know," Jack replied, "I think brown's a good colour on you."

He saw Kim's face light up with her million watt smile, and after a short apology and the placing their crowns on each other's heads (were they King and Queen to each other?), he asked her to dance.

Of course, of _course_, the music just had to change at the exact moment they started. Kim had pulled away almost immediately, a delighted look on her face, and started to flail wildly in the way that she called dancing.

Jack was disappointed, to say the least. But he sucked it up and danced with her, grinning at how adorable she was.

And he finally realized it. He was in love with her.

Jack nearly fell over.

_Three_

The third time, Kim teased him on purpose. He was _sure_ of it.

They were going to the beach, since it was so incredibly hot outside. The guys had agreed to meet up at the dojo, and meet Kim at the beach, since she lived closest to it.

"Yo, Jack, where's my tanning lotion?" Jerry bellowed from one side of the dojo.

"In here!" Jack replied, his voice coming from the change room. "I accidentally picked it up with my stuff. I'll be right out!"

He hopped out quickly, tossing the bottle of lotion to Jerry.

"The playah is in the house!" Eddie announced, pushing through the doors. He was wearing shorts and no shirt, revealing a slight paunch.

Jack coughed, trying to hide a chuckle. Eddie looked at him suspiciously, and then shrugged.

"We only need to wait for Rudy, Milton and Julie," Jack said, sitting down on a bench.

"Julie's coming?" Eddie asked.

"Yup. Milton promised her a picnic for their five-month anniversary." Jack looked up at the ceiling. "Oh, the power of nerd love."

They laughed.

"Okay, we're all here!" Rudy announced, Julie and Milton following behind him. "Let's get into the van!"

The six huddled into the vehicle, squeezing in to fit.

"It's…so hot," Milton mumbled after ten minutes.

"Relax, man, we'll be there in five minutes!" Jack said. "Hey, did Kim tell us where to meet her?"

"Yeah, by the ice-cream cart near the entrance," Rudy replied, eyes fixed on the road.

They finally pulled up into the parking lot, and pushed each other out of the van.

"Freedom!" Milton yelled and, grabbing Julie by the hand, ran straight onto the sand. Jerry and Eddie chased after them.

"Help me unload the van?" Rudy said to Jack, who nodded. The sensei sighed and opened the back, when he suddenly saw a pretty lady smiling at him.

"Yeah, you do that," Rudy mumbled, patting Jack on the back and wandering toward the woman.

"Really?!" Jack yelled at the man's departing back and groaned.

"Hey, Jack." Kim's voice sounded next to him.

"Hey, Kim." Jack didn't look at her, trying to wrestle a bag out of the trunk. "Could you help me with—"

He finally saw her and his eyes grew wide.

She was wearing a two piece black bathing suit, which revealed a slim figure, tanned skin, and abs.

Kim grinned devilishly at him and raised an eyebrow.

Jack swallowed and gulped, trying to speak. "I…uh, I gotta go." He raced away to a large sand dune, and lay down, trying to calm his heart.

"This, Kim Crawford," he whispered, "is so not fair."

_Four_

The fourth time was when Jack finally worked up the courage to ask Kim on a date.

"Relax, Jack. Girls would kill to go out with you. You're a good person. Kim will say yes," he said to himself. It became a mantra as he stood on Kim's doorstep, pacing in a circle. Each time he tried to ring the doorbell, he would yank his hand back and keep pacing.

"Oh for heaven's sake!" he finally said. In one fluid motion, he rang the bell.

Jack froze. "Oh no. Oh God, what did I do?!" He turned, fully intending to leave, when he heard the door open.

"Jack! Hi," he heard Kim say. "What's up?"

Jack turned and gave her a smile, hoping it didn't look strained.

"Uh, I…I need to talk to you." He winced, his voice was high and squeaky.

Kim raised an eyebrow. "Uh huh. Sure, come in."

Jack took one step inside, and then scooted back outside. "You know what, never mind. I'll-I'll come back some other time…"

"Jack!" Kim's voice was demanding. "What's up? Come on, just spit it out!"

"Fine! Will you go on a date with me?!" he shouted.

Silence. Not stunned silence. Just…silence.

Jack hesitantly met Kim's eyes. She was staring at him, head cocked to one side. Just…staring.

"Kim?" he said, waving a hand in her face. She kept staring, kept her silence.

"Kim! Kimmy?" he said, trying to get some reaction out of her; she hated that name.

Stare. Silence.

"I…guess that's no…? Yes?" Jack tried.

You can guess what came after.

"Okay…um, I'll just get going." The brunet turned, hands in his pockets, ignoring the terrible sinking feeling in his stomach.

"What time?" Kim called.

Jack spun around so fast he nearly fell over. Kim was grinning at him, a twinkle in her eye. "What time are we going?"

"So…that's a yes?" Jack's voice was incredulous.

"Of course it is, you idiot!" Kim laughed, bounding down the steps and throwing her arms around him. Jack hugged her back, dazed.

"But…why were you staring at me like that?" he said, trying to wrap his mind around the fact that Kim had agreed.

"Oh, I love to see your reactions. It's hilarious." The blonde laughed again.

"You're going to be the death of me, Kim Crawford," Jack mumbled, but he was smiling.

One thing was for sure: Kim was no ordinary girl.

_Five_

It was after the first few months that the two got together that Kim said something that nearly made Jack's ever treacherous heart stop.

They were going on a date at Falafel Phil's—for some reason, Phil always found an excuse to get them there and would then spy on them. They had just come from training in the djo and hadn't bothered to change, because it was an informal date, and it was just them—Jack and Kim.

But Jack still found some reason to compliment Kim every time they went out. "You look beautiful, Kim," he said this particular night, and she smiled softly, biting her lip in that way she did whenever she was around him. He loved that only he could make her do that.

"Thanks, Jack, but you do realize that we came straight from the dojo, right? I'm a pretty sweaty mess right now," she replied, a light shade of pink tinting her face.

"You got the pretty part right," Jack said, and she laughed. "But seriously, Kim. You always look beautiful to me."

Kim bit her lip again. "Thanks, Jack. That really means a lot."

They ordered their food and laughed and chatted, just like they always did. Kim laughed so hard at one joke that she snorted, making Jack laugh even harder.

"You sound adorable when you do that. Like a pig," he said.

"Thanks, Jack. I'm an adorable pig, am I?" Kim replied, looking at him seriously. The brunet panicked.

"No, no! I didn't mean it like that! You don't sound like a pig—well, no, you do, but not necessarily in a bad way! Wait, no, I mean—"

Kim cut him off with a laugh of her own. "Relax, man! I was kidding!"

Jack sighed. "Kimmy, you're going to kill me."

"Well, if you call me that again, I will," the blonde retorted, narrowing her eyes. Jack put his hands up in surrender and they continued talking and eating.

"We should head home. Don't you have homework to do?" Kim finally said, looking regretful. Her boyfriend groaned.

"Ugh, I seriously hate school sometimes," he said. "What's the point of all the homework?"

"The teachers just need a way to vent their anger at how pathetic their lives are, and they do it through homework," Kim informed him, and they laughed again.

Their walk home was silent in comparison to their actual date, but it was a good silence, one in which both intertwined their hands and just enjoyed each other's presence.

"I had a lot of fun tonight," Jack told Kim as they stood in front of her house.

Kim was silent for a second. "Jack," she said abruptly. "I don't think I like you anymore."

The boy nearly keeled over. "What?! But we had so much fun! You were laughing and talking…did I do something wrong? Is that why you're breaking up with me?"

Kim looked him in the eyes. "I don't like you anymore…because I think I love you."

Jack was stunned into silence.

Oh.

_OH._

"I…I love you, too," he said softly, and the words tasted amazing. He loved Kim and Kim loved him.

Kim stepped up to him and kissed him, sliding her hands around his neck. She pulled away and hugged him.

"Good night, Jack. Oh, and one more thing," she added, "You're cute when you freak out." She smirked at him with a falsely innocent smile and winked.

"Way to ruin the moment, Kim," Jack mumbled after she was inside, but he couldn't help the smile that broke out over his face.

_Six_

Jack and Kim had been dating for years after high school, and at the age of 24, Jack thought it was a good time to propose to her.

They had a good life. Somehow, the entire gang had managed to get into a university in California (how Jerry had managed that, he didn't know), and they were still inseparable. They all lived in Seaford, again, and Milton was now married to Julie, Jerry to Grace, and surprisingly, Eddie to Kelsey after they'd hooked up in Indiana during a vacation. Jack was the only one left. And he was scared.

What if Kim said no? No, she'd been with him for eight years, she wouldn't do that. Would she?

Jack was full of insecurities, but he had to push through, for Kim…and his own mental health.

He took Kim to Falafel Phil's; though it wasn't the most romantic place, he knew Kim didn't like fancy stuff. She preferred the nice, familiar comforts of home, and besides, Phil's was where they'd gone for their first date. It seemed appropriate.

They laughed and chatted, but Jack knew that Kim noticed how stressed he seemed.

"Hey," she said, reaching over the table and grabbing his hand. "You okay? You seem nervous."

Jack couldn't take it anymore. He had to ask now before he lost _all_ his nerve.

"Kim," he said, swallowing dryly. "We've been together for so long, and I've had a blast through all of it. You're funny, sweet, smart, sarcastic, tough, and I love you so much." He knelt down on a knee, reaching into his pocket, and Kim's eyes widened slightly.

Jack pulled out a box and opened it, revealing a beautifully cut amethyst ring. "Kim Crawford, will you marry me?"

She was silent, chewing a falafel ball thoughtfully. Jack felt as though he was having a heart attack. The entire restaurant was looking at the two, holding their breath as if as one.

"Kim?"

"Well," Kim said, "You're overprotective, you can be jealous and possessive, you have an enormous ego, and you can never admit I'm right without an argument. Marrying you would mean I would have to put up with that every single day of my life."

Jack felt faint. He could see the headlines: _Jack Anderson, 24, dies of a broken heart. _

"But, you're also sweet, funny, smart, loyal, not to mention darn good looking. And I _do_ love you. So, yeah, I will marry you." Kim finished by popping the rest of the falafel ball into her mouth.

The restaurant burst into cheers as a dazed Jack slid the ring onto her left hand and kissed her deeply.

_Everything's going to be okay,_ he thought. He pulled back a second and flicked Kim on the forehead. She looked at him in astonishment.

"What was that for?" she asked.

"For being such a tease," Jack replied and kissed her again.

**I am personally so proud of this. I did not expect how this turned out, but I know I love it! Please read and review; they mean the world to me. **

**PalindromePen, out. **


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